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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. L. HEPBURN.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR BOLT GUNS.

No. 591,220. Patented Oct. 5,1897.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR; 542% My vLewis Life twain.- v

(No Model.) D 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. L. L. HEPBURN. SAFETY DEVICE FOR BOLTGUNS- Patent .INVENTOR NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS L. IIEPBURN, OF NEWV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE MARLINFIRE ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SAFETY DEVICEFOR BOLT-GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591,220, dated October5, 1897. Application filed May 17, 1897- Serial No. 636,891. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEWIS L. HEPBURN, a citizen of the United States,residing in New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRepeating Firearms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in repeating firearms, particularlyof that class in which there is provided a reciprocating breech-bolt,one example of which may be found in my earlier United States patent,No. 528,905, dated November 6,1894.

The main object of this invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive,and eifective means to prevent the accidental premature unlocking oropening of the breech mechanism in the interval between the falling ofthe hammer and the explosion of the cartridge.

My invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the breech or receiver portion of afirearm containing my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1. Figs.3 and 4 are each vertical longitudinal sections through the center ofthe breechbolt, said figures illustrating difierent positions of themechanical parts thereof, including the locking-bolt. Figs. 5 and 6 arerespectively projected views of the under side of Figs. 3 and 4. Figs. 7and 8 are each views of the under side of the breech-bolt, thelocking-bolt being removed, Fig. 8 illustrating a modification. Figs. 9and 10 are views of details.

The principal parts of the breech mechanism in one form of firearm towhich my invention is applicable may be described as follows:

A is the receiver portion of a firearm.

B is a reciprocating breech-bolt.

D is a hammer.

E is a firing-pin.

F is a locking-bolt carried by the breechbolt and adapted, when theparts are in firing position, to be tilted so that its rear end restsagainst a suitable abutment G in the frame of the receiver, Fig. 1, toprevent the blowing out of the breech-bolt by the force of an explodin gcartridge.

H is a horn carried by the locking-bolt and registering with a recess 1in the side of the firing-pin when the latteris in its forward position,Fig. 4.

Whenthe parts are in position for firing, the firing-pin, being in itsretracted position, projects over the horn H, Fig. 3, preventing thetilting of the locking-bolt until the firingpin has been moved into itsforward position. A description of the parts thus far referred to may befound more in detail in my former United States Letters Patent, No.528,905 of November 6, 1894:.

As it sometimes happens in the case of slowburning powder that thecartridge hangs fire and does not explode at the drop of the hammer, itis important that a suitable means be provided to prevent the accidentalunlocking of the breech mechanism until thecartridge has exploded, and Itherefore provide a supplemental safety device, constructed and operatedsubstantially as follows:

J is a longitudinally-reciprocating lockingblock carried adjacent to thefiring-pin and preferably within the breech-bolt B.

K is a downwardlyprojecting shoulder thereon adapted, when the parts arein the. position indicated in Figs. 1, 2, 8, 5, and 7, to project overthe lockingbolt, as shown, and prevent the latter from being tilted.

When the firing-pin is advanced and the gun discharged, the recoiloccasioned when the cartridge explodes is sufficient to cause the blockJ to advance from the position shown in Fig. 7 into the positionindicated in Figs. l and 6, in which position the shoulder K registerswith a suitableopening or recess L, Fig. 10, in the locking-bolt F, sothat the latter may be readily tilted into theunlocked position topermit the breech-bolt to be retracted. i

The block J has two relative positions with respect to the locking-boltFa rearward locked position and a forward unlocked position, (see Figs.3 and 4,) respectively.

M is a retaining-spring, the same being preferably carried by the blockJ, the freeend of said spring being provided with a nose M, havingbeveled faces, preferably adapted to ICO rest in notches N N in the sideof the firingpin E. The frictional engagement afforded by said springbearing in the notch N is sufficient to hold the block J in theretracted position, Fig. 7, with respect to the firing-pin and thelocking-bolt F until the explosion and its attending recoil.

In the modification shown in Fig. 8 the nose M at the free end of thespring M frictionally bears in suitable notches N N in the inner wall ofthe breech bolt B instead of against the firing-pin, as previouslydescribed.

P is a stop carried by the block J and projecting into a slot or recessin the side of the firing-pin E, being one means by which theindependent longitudinal movement of said parts is limited.

In operation a cartridge is inserted into the barrel and the partslooked, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 5. The hammer D upon beingreleased strikes the firing-pin E, forcing it ahead into the positionindicated in Fig. 7, the quick advance of the firing-pin leaving thelocking-block J in its original retracted operative position, where itprevents the unlocking of the breech mechanism until the cartridgeexplodes. When the cartridge does explode, the recoil of the gun shiftsthe block J from its retracted position into that shown in Figs. 4 and(5, thereby unlocking the locking-bolt F, as previously described. Assoon as another cartridge has been inserted into the barrel by thereciprocation of the breech mechanism the retracting-spring 0 moves thefiring-pin back into its original position, and the rearward movement ofthe firing-pin returns the block J to its rearward position, Figs. 3 and5, again locking the parts.

In the modification instead of providing a frictional engagement betweenthe block J and the firing-pin E for returning the block J to thelocking position I provide a positive means, the same being the stop P,which bears against the shoulder at the forward end of the slot orrecess in the side of the firing-pin E when both of said parts are intheir forward position.

If desirable, the block J may have a nose Q, projecting through anopening in the rear of the breech-bolt B to one side of the firingpinand out of the path of movement of the hammer, so that should thecartridge fail to explode the operator may unlock the lockingbolt F bypressing the nose Q ahead, thereby manually forcing the supplementallockingblock J from the position shown in Fig. 7 into the forwardinoperative position,Figs. 4 and 6.

In carrying out my invention it may be desirable to make certain changesin the construction and arrangement of the parts thereof, and Itherefore do not limit myself to the specific construction andarrangement described, but hold myself at liberty to make suchalterations and changes as are fairly within the spirit and scope of myinvention.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. In a repeating firearm, a supplemental lockingdevice, comprising a loosely-mounted sliding block, free to have limitedlongitudinal movement, and actuated in one direction by the recoil ofthe gun, said block when in its rearward position projecting into thepath of movement of one of the operative parts of the breech-lockingmechanism and thereby locking the breech-bolt.

2. In a repeating firearm, a locking-bolt, a supplemental locking meanstherefor, the latter comprising a sliding block havinglimitedlongitudinal movement in line with the barrel and actuated in onedirection by the re coil of the gun, said block when in its rearwardposition projecting into the path of movement of said lockingbolt toprevent movement of the latter.

3. In a repeating firearm, a reciprocating breech-bolt, a locking-bolt,a supplemental locking means carried within said breech-bolt, comprisinga loosely-mounted sliding block having limited independent movement inline with the barrel, said block when in its rearward positionprojecting into the path of movement of said locking-bolt to preventmovement of the latter.

4. In a repeating firearm, a reciprocating breech-bolt, a locking-boltcarried thereby, a supplemental locking means, comprising aloosely-mounted sliding block located within said breech-bolt, andhaving limited longitudinal movement with respect thereto and actuatedin one direction by the recoil of the gun, said block when in itsrearward position projecting into the path of movement of saidlocking-bolt to prevent movement of the latter.

5. In a repeating firearm, a reciprocating breech-bolt, a tiltinglocking bolt carried thereby, a supplemental locking means comprising ablock carried within said breechbolt, and having limited independentlongitudinal movement with respect thereto, frictional retaining meanstherefor, said block when in its rearward position projecting into thepath of movement of said locking-bolt to prevent movement of the same.

6. In a repeating firearm, a reciprocating breech-bolt, a firing-pincarried thereby, and a tilting locking-bolt, a supplemental lockingmeans for said locking-bolt, comprising a longitudinally-movable blockcarried within said breech-bolt, means for limiting the longitudinalmovement of said block with respect to said bolt, a spring carriedthereby, the free end of said spring bearing in suitable notches, saidblock when in its rearward position projecting into the path of movementof said locking-bolt to prevent the tilting of the same.

7. In a repeating firearm, a reciprocating breech-bolt, a tiltinglocking-bolt and a firingpin carried thereby, and a supplemental lockingmeans for said locking-bolt, comprising a block having limitedindependent longitudinal movement with respect to the adjacent parts, aspring carried by said block, the free end of said springfrictionallybearing in suitable notches in the side of said firing-pin, said blockwhen in its rearward position projecting into the path of movement ofsaid lockingbolt, to prevent the movement of the same.

8. In a repeating firearm, a supplemental locking device, comprising aloosely-mounted sliding block, free to have limited longitudinalmovement in the line of the barrel and actuated in one direction by therecoil of the gun, said block when in its rearward position projectinginto the path of movement of the locking-bolt, a nose on said blockprojecting [0 through an opening, whereby said block may be manuallyoperated.

LEWIS L. HEPBURN. Witnesses:

CHARLES H. MITCHELL, LILLIE VREELAND.

